I Need a Hero
by whiteroses-andmockingjays
Summary: Beatrice Prior tries to cope with her life after an accident that took both her parents' lives.
1. part 1

I stared at my hands, absentmindedly picking at my silver nail polish, while listening to the therapist go on and on about what he thinks is wrong with me. _Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder_, etc. the list goes on.

"…You're isolating yourself from everyone you know, Beatrice. It's not healthy."

"Tris."

He cocked his head, confused. "Excuse me?"

"My name is Tris, not Beatrice." I sat up straighter. "I've been telling you that since day one. Why can you not seem to realize I don't want to be called Tris?" I glared at him – difficult as it was. He was way more attractive than your normal therapist was. Normally when you think about a therapist, you think of someone who's older and wiser – typically women. And that's what I thought when I arrived at the Amity Ave. therapy clinic, a woman with brown hair and a scar above her right eye running down to her chin, Johanna Reyes, had greeted me with a smile.

But instead of Johanna, I was handed over to Tobias Johnson. He was fresh out of college and, as much as I hated to admit it, was a pretty decent therapist for being so new. He was tall, muscle-y, and had his dark brown hair cropped. He looked like someone you would expect to be in the military, but no – instead he was a therapist.

"We're not really allowed to use nicknames because it can be connected to bad thoughts." I roll my eyes and stand up from the chaise. "Beatrice, please sit down. We are not done here."

"No disrespect, but I think we are. I'm not depressed and I'm not suicidal. I am just upset and since when is it against the law to be upset? I'm not putting myself in danger and I'm not putting anyone else in danger so I see no point in coming here twice a week." I stormed out of the office, leaving the door opened. I felt something sharp twist in my stomach – guilt. Why was I feeling guilty? Maybe because I've been causing Tobias more trouble than he needs.

I hurried towards the elevator and into the lobby where Caleb, my brother, was waiting for me. "Why did you leave early?" He asked, looking at my balled fists. I uncurled my hands and rubbed them against my pant legs.

I was silent for a few seconds, trying to find an excuse. "I couldn't take it." He crosses his arms across his chest and frowns, something he did a lot when I was a kid. "Beatrice, you need this. It's important to make sure that nothing happens to you."

"I am not depressed!" I meant to yell, but it came out more like a whisper. I was fully aware of the eyes on Caleb and me. "Why can't everyone just see that?" Tears started to well up and I turned away from Caleb and ran down one of the empty halls. I waited until the hall ended and then I slouched against the wall and slid down to the floor, my arms wrapped tightly around my chest. I let a strangled sob escape and covered my face with my hands. Maybe I was depressed. I wasn't depressed to the point of endangerment, but I could still be depressed. _No. I am strong. I am not depressed – just sad. _

"Hey, are you okay?" I jump slightly, scared by the voice, and quickly rub my tears away with the edge of my sleeve. I look up and see a man with short blonde hair, staring at me. He has two piercings above his right eyebrow and two black earrings that look almost like screws. He has a full jaw and a smile that looks friendly but has a hint of mischievousness behind it. I shrug, tired of lying. "I'm Eric."

"Bea…Tris. My name's Tris." I sniffle and watch as he sits down next to me. I don't wonder where Caleb is because I know he's probably gone to talk to Tobias or Johanna about what happened – overprotective and worrisome fool.

"Why are you crying?" He bends his knees and rests his arms on the top of them. I shrug again, a natural instinct in this building. I wanted to tell him, but I just couldn't. I didn't know him, I didn't know where he came from and I didn't want to share my private moments with a stranger. I stared at him, speechless. "Right, strangers. Well, how about we hang out later tonight? As long as you aren't busy." He cocks an eyebrow and I can't help but smile. I nod. I hand him my phone and he saves his number into it and hands it back to me.

"Tris?" I look up to see Tobias walking down the hall and Caleb trying to keep up behind him. I push myself up off the floor and Eric follows suite, brushing dust off his backside. Tobias glares at Eric as he stands in front of me. "Eric, what are you doing here?" I glance between Eric and Tobias, confused.

"Applying for a job." _Oh, great! Another therapist. _I internally groan. Eric smirks at Tobias and I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. There was a lot of tension between them and I was stuck in the middle of it - Tobias on my right and Eric on my left.

"Beatrice, we need to get going." Caleb demands, and I happily slip from between Tobias and Eric.

"I'll call you later." I nod towards Eric and he smiles. I turn away but still see Tobias jabbing his finger into Eric's chest, his jaw taut.

* * *

Caleb and I had moved from our childhood home into an apartment in the midst of the city in Chicago. There were too many memories in the house and neither Caleb nor I could stand to deal with them, so we left and both thought it would be best to move into the city. My room had a nice view of the city and also had a fire escape for nights like tonight where I wanted to get out of the apartment without answering twenty questions from Caleb. Every time I tried to leave he would ask me where I was going, when I would be back and who I was going with. He was worse than our parents.

I had called Eric like I promised, and he suggested we meet up at a bar called The Hub. It was just outside the city and he promised I'd be home by eleven. I didn't know how I was going to get into the club, being only nineteen, but he told me to trust him. It wasn't hard for me to trust strangers – a major character flaw that I absolutely hated – I just couldn't not trust people. I was raised to see the good in people. I had tried to dress as adult as I could – in a pair of black leather skinny jeans, a tight, low-cut top that showed off my collarbones and the three black ravens tattooed under my left collarbone. I paired the outfit off with a pair of mid-calf black boots.

I met up with Eric in front of the club and he smiled, waving me over. "You made it." He sounded impressed. I nodded and he waved a small group of people over. "This is Christina, Max, Uriah and Will." Christina smiled at me. "Everyone, this is Tris." Max and Uriah turned towards Eric and I was left standing in front of Christina and Will. Christina was pretty – she had smooth, dark skin and short black hair that was in a French braid. Her brown eyes were big and luminous, but still pretty. The boy, Will, kept his hand lightly on her waist. "Nice to meet you." She hugs me, catching me off guard. Will smiles and it's possibly the friendliest smile I have ever seen. "So how about we go get some drinks?" She smiled and looped her arm through mine and pulled me into the bar, completely bypassing the long line and bouncer. He didn't stop us and didn't force us to show him our .

We make it into the club and I subconsciously hold onto Christina tighter. It's just barely light enough to see the person standing next to you and there are people dancing against each other and people in booths, laughing and drinking. Christina pulls me and Will over to a large booth with a group of people already sitting there. I recognize one person – Tobias.

I want to let go of Christina and run out of the bar, but I can't – he's already noticed me. His smile fades and worry creases his forehead. He excuses himself from his friends and walks over to me. He nods at Christina. "Hey, Tobias."

"Tris, can I talk to you?" I look at Christina and nod at her. She shrugs and walks with Will to the booth and slides in – basically sitting on his lap. Tobias pulls me to the hallway with the bathrooms where there's a larger amount of light than the dance floor. "What the hell are you doing here, Tris? You're nineteen!"

I cross my arms over my chest. "Trying to have fun. That's what everyone's been telling me to do for the past four months! They've been yelling at me to go out and have fun and that's what I'm doing!" He shakes his head. I notice that he's not wearing a suit and he looks pretty good. He has on a black sweater that accent his muscles nicely and a pair of dark blue jeans. His hair is unruly and it makes him look even better.

"So you came here with Eric?" He looks disgusted.

"Yeah and why were you yelling at him earlier?" I stand up straighter.

"You don't need to worry about that, you just need to worry about Eric. He is not a good person, Tris. He will get you into a lot of trouble. He isn't worth it." I glare at him – something he's probably used to by now.

"You're a therapist. You don't think anyone's good for you." I turn on my heels and stomp over to Christina. I sit down next to her, running my hand through my hair. Tobias sits down across from me, but I manage to ignore him for the rest of the night.

Around eleven, Eric sits down next to me, putting his arm across my back, pulling me into his side. I blush and hide my smile.

"Come back to my place with me." He whispers into my ear, sending chills down my spine. "Please?" He looks at me, smiling sweetly. I've had only three beers and it's making me feel off. I nod and he takes my hand, leading me out of the bar. We get out to the front where a majority of the line has died down.

"Eric, stop." We both turn around and see Tobias pushing past the bounce. "Let me talk to Tris really quick. I have to ask her a question." Eric glances at me and I roll my eyes. I walk over to Tobias and he reaches out, touching my elbow lightly. "Please don't go home with him, Tris. I am begging you for your own good." He didn't look like my therapist; he looked like a caring friend.

"Tobias, please. For the past four months I have been miserable. I have not found anything or anyone that has made me happy since the accident. I trust him and I'll be fine – I promise." His hand drops from my elbow and he sighs, his eyebrows knitting together in frustration. I resist the urge to reach out and smooth them. Instead, I turn around and walk back to Eric, who wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me towards his car. I glance over my shoulder and see Tobias walking away and kicking a trashcan. I wince as I hear the trash clutter and I suddenly feel terrible. I stop walking, causing Eric to skid to a halt and stare at me, confused.

"Is something wrong?" He asks, tossing his car keys up into the air and catching them. I think about lying to him and telling him that nothing was wrong and following him to his car. I can't. I won't.

"Ah, yeah. I just…I promised my brother I would be home tonight." He looked at me, quirking his pierced brow. I took a deep breath, hoping he believed it.

"Does this have to do with something Eaton said?" He asked, his face suddenly turning angry. I shook my head, trying to wipe my hands on my leather pants. "Is he hurting you? Or threatening you?"

"No!" I stared at him in horror. "No, Tobias isn't – he's not hurting me or threatening me. He's just my therapist." Eric gripped my hip a little tighter than necessary, and he pulled me towards him. I threw my arms up to keep at least an arm's length of distance between the two of us. "Why did you call him Eaton? His last name's Johnson."

"Tris, if Eaton is hurting you, you can always tell me."

"I told you, Eric. He's not hurting me! Now, I need to go home." I pull my arm away from him and shove past him, walking towards a lit corner of the street, hailing a cab.

* * *

"Good morning, Beatrice." Tobias nods at me as I step into his office. It's been two weeks since he told me not to go home with Eric at the bar, but it feels like it was just last night. I just feel so awkward.

"If you call me Beatrice one more time, I'm going to throw my shoe at your head." I grumble, sitting down on the edge of the chair. He manages to smile and then quickly covers it with his hand. Seeing Tobias smile is quite a sight – it's such a lovely smile.

"I apologize – force of habit." He crosses his leg over his knee and rests his notepad on his thigh. "Now, Tris, do you want to begin talking about the night at the bar and why you decided it was a smart decision to go to a bar with Eric the other week?" His tone was a mixture of worry and jealously. I groan and shove my hands under my thighs, and rock back and forth.

"Since when is a therapist allowed to ask that? Aren't you supposed to ask about my "depression" or my isolating people?" He shakes his head and I'm suddenly angry. "Or how about instead of trying to convince me to stay away from Eric, you just walked away and kicked a fucking trash can? Why does Eric call you Eaton?"

"Did he hurt you?" He asks, leaning forward on his forearms. I shake my head, wiping the underside of my eyes with the pads of my thumbs. "Tris, what did he do to you? Why are you crying?" He reached his arm across the space between us and rests his hand on my arm. I don't try and push his hand away; I welcome it as if it's the only thing holding me from completely falling apart. For the past few months, whenever I let a few tears out, I feel as if I'm going to end up crying until I'm hyperventilating and hiccupping and out of tears.

"No, he didn't hurt me. And stop trying to change the subject! Why does Eric call you Eaton? I thought your last name was Johnson." Tobias sighs and leans back.

"This isn't the time or place to talk about this. Come over to my place at five and we can talk more." He scribbles something on a piece of paper and hands it to me. His address. I rub my face with the palms of my hands, and stand up.

I leave without another word and Caleb doesn't say anything about my leaving early again. The drive home is silent. When Caleb pulls up in front of the apartment and I jump out of the car, hurrying up the steps to our apartment. I unlock the door and throw myself onto the couch on my stomach and hiding my face in my pillow. I hear Caleb's footsteps and the door shut. "Beatrice, what's wrong?" He sits down near my feet and I push myself up, pulling my legs into my chest. "And would you like to explain why you pulled that little stunt the other week? The one where you snuck out of the house and went to a club?"

I groaned. "I am so sick of everyone asking why I did that. I don't know why I did it! I did it because I was being stupid and being a teenager!" I run my hands, frustrated, through my hair. "I'm sorry I did it and it won't happen again." Caleb shakes his head.

"Does this have anything to do with what happened to Mom and Dad? Beatrice, you know it wasn't your fault."

"It's not about them!" My voice was louder than normal, causing Caleb to scoot back a few centimeters. "I don't want it to be about them." I wipe back tears and bite the inside of my cheek. "Can I just…just be alone?" He nods and gets up, rubbing my shoulder as he passes me. I think about not telling Caleb about going out tonight, but I can't do that – he's my brother. "Caleb," I call to him. "Tobias…he invited me to his place so that we can talk some more and I'm going to go." Caleb nods and rubs the back of his neck.

"Just be careful and call me to let me know when you're coming home." I nod, promising him that I'll call him. He shuts the door to his bedroom and I push myself up off the couch.

* * *

Around six-thirty, I stand in front of a large apartment complex about ten minutes from the Therapy office. I stare at the buzzer to Tobias's apartment and decide whether or not to go home or not. He's my therapist and I've hated him since the day I was forcefully brought to therapy. I very rarely opened up to him and I didn't want to. But here I was, standing in front of his apartment.

I sigh and press the buzzer to his apartment. "Come on up." I hear his voice over the intercom and I pull open the front door and head up the steps.

Tobias opens the door and he smiles at me. "Come in." He steps aside to let me in and I return his smile as much as I can and he shuts the door behind me.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Tobias shrugs.

"It's fine. Do you want something to drink?" I nod and he disappears into the kitchen. I sit down on his couch and pull my legs up underneath myself. There's a stack of books on the coffee table, a guitar in the corner of the room and a large flat screen TV hanging on the wall. Tobias comes back out of the kitchen with a beer and a glass of soda. He hands me the soda and sits down next to me on the couch, placing the beer on the coffee table. "So do you want to talk about why you hung out in a bar with Eric?" He asks, flinging his left arm over the back of the couch. I move so that my back is pressing against the arm rest, and pull my legs into my chest like I did earlier at home.

I shrug. "Why do you sound so angry every time you say Eric's name? He's a nice guy." He frowns and stares at me.

"Tris, he's not a nice guy. He's dangerous." He quickly took a sip of his beer and then looked at me again. "I've known him for a long time and he's gotten into a lot of legal trouble. I don't like the idea of you around him." My stomach clenched and I couldn't help but smile a little. He cared about me. It felt nice to have someone genuinely care about me. "Promise me you'll stay away from him." Tobias placed his hand on the top of my knee and I stared at his hand but still nodded.

I turn my gaze back onto his face and took a deep breath. "I'll stay away from Eric if you tell me why he kept calling you Eaton instead of Johnson." He dropped his hand away from my knee and sighed.

"My real last name is Eaton. But I changed it once I went to college because my Father abused me and I didn't want to have any part of him and his surname was the last thing that connected me to him. So I took my Mother's surname – Johnson." I frown. His father _abused _him? I stare at him. He doesn't look the kind of person who would be beat. He looks strong, tough and brave.

"So you became a therapist?"

"I became a therapist because I was tired of feeling alone and, as bad as it sounds, I was happy to hear that I wasn't alone and that my father wasn't the only monster in the world. But that wasn't the only reason. I wanted to help people. I _want _to help people. It makes me feel better when I can help someone stop being afraid of their parents or help someone with their depression." He shrugs and I can't help it – I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him.

It's a natural instinct to want to comfort someone who looks like they're in pain and Tobias was in pain and I couldn't help it. My arms ached to comfort him.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me to him. Normally I shy away from affection, except for Caleb, but I didn't want to push away from Tobias. It was strange – I wanted him closer to me.

Tobias pulls back and smiles at me. I stretch my arm out and press my hand to the side of his face. He leans into my hand, and places his hand on top of mine. He looks at me, his eyes burning into mine and I suddenly feel awkward and childlike. I don't know why – maybe because he's older than me or because he's my therapist.

But he apparently isn't thinking the same thing because he places his hands on both sides of my face and pulls me close, attaching his lips to mine. For a moment, I'm too surprised to move or react, but then I feel myself melting into the feel of his lips against mine and twist my hands into the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling myself onto his lap.

I hear my inner-self yelling at me. _Stop kissing him! You barely know him! You are so stupid! So childish! _But that just makes me kiss him harder. I don't want to stop kissing him. I've known him for five or six months – longer than most people know their significant others. I'm not stupid. I'm not childish. I've told him about my parents' accident and I've told him things I would never even tell Caleb, and he's told me about his dad and that means that he trusts me.

Tobias moves his hands from my face down to my waist, gripping tightly and pulling me closer to him. A small gasp fell from his lips and suddenly I was pushing him away and pushing myself off of him.

"I'm so sorry. That…that was really stupid and I shouldn't have done it. I'm really sorry." I apologize over and over again, hiding my face in my hands.

"Tris, it's fine. I should be apologizing." He laughed once and pulled my hands away from my face. I shake my head.

"I need to get going. Caleb's expecting me home."

"I can drive you." He offers but I just shake his offer off.

"No, no, it's fine. I can walk." I see his horror-struck expression. A young girl walking alone in the middle of night in Chicago? Not a good combination. "Or I can call a cab. I'll be fine." I turn and hurry out of his apartment, shutting the door and running down the steps. Once I get outside and get a cab, I finally breathe again.

I got back to the apartment just as my phone started to ring. It was Caleb. "Hey, I'm sorry I didn't call you. I'm right downstairs."

"Oh, well I was just calling to let you know that I'm out with some friends. I'll be home probably around midnight or one. Will you be okay?" Concern fills his voice.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I hang up the phone and slip it into my back pocket. I walk up the steps and when I get to our door, I see that it's slightly opened. I shake my head. Caleb is extremely forgetful and it's very frustrating. He was probably in a rush anyways. I shut the door behind me and toss my keys into a glass bowl sitting on a table near the door.

I go into my bedroom and sit down on my bed, taking my shoes off and tossing them into my closet.

"Tris!" I jump at the sound of approaching footsteps. I expect to see Caleb but instead I see Eric.

"Eric? What are you doing here?" I stand up and walk towards him. "How did you get in?"

"I kind of…broke in." I glare at him. "Don't be mad! I was just worried about you. I haven't heard from you since the night at the bar and I was worried I scared you off." I remember what Tobias said about him and I wrap my arms around myself.

"N-No. You didn't scare me off. I've just been busy." I felt no remorse lying to him like I did when I lied to Tobias.

"Well, are you doing anything tonight?" I shake my head, and then regret it. "You should come back to my place with me. I'm having a small party." He steps closer, placing a hand on my waist. His hand feels cold – whereas Tobias's hand felt warm and strong. "I'd really like it if you came."

I didn't want to go with him, but he scared me. His grip on my waist was tightening and his eyes weren't their normal shade of blue – they were darker, almost black. I shivered, but he didn't notice. I didn't want to go, but I felt as if I had no other choice.

Twenty minutes later, I was sitting on a leather sofa, holding a cup of cheap beer and was wedged between two couples – both of whom were making out. I felt awkward and stiff as I watched people moving around the tiny condo, passing out beers or blunts. I didn't like this and I wanted to leave. I pushed myself off the couch, placing the cup of beer on the coffee table, heading for the door.

"Tris!" I felt someone grab my arm and I whipped around to see Eric. "Where ya going to?" I shrug out of his grip and cross my arms.

"I don't like it here. I'm going to go home." Eric laughs once, taking a sip of his drink, shaking his head.

"Here, take this." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a prescription bottle. He opens it up and dumps two small, white pills into my hand. "It'll calm you down." He smirks and looks at me.

I shake my head and turn on my heels, heading out the front door, but he grabs me again. "I said, _take them_." He growled, his mouth near my ear. I tried to pull away from him, but it was like he suddenly gained ten pounds of muscle. He dropped a pill in my hand, and gripped my free hand tightly. I lifted the pill to my mouth at the same time I lifted my knee to Eric's stomach, kneeing him as hard as I could. His grip faltered and I used that chance to pull away and drop the pill to the floor.

I turned, and hurried out the door trying to dial a number on my phone. I couldn't call Caleb – he'd be furious. I didn't have many other people to call who would look past this. They'd be angry at me.

As soon as I was outside, I slumped against the front wall, scrolling through my contacts again and again, finally settling on a number.

The phone rang three times and he finally picked up on the fourth. "Tris? What's wrong?"

"Please help." Tears started collecting in my eyes, blurring my vision. "I fucked up, Tobias. I need help."


	2. part 2

Tobias pulled up in a large, black truck and quickly jumped out and ran to where I was crouched against the wall. He wrapped his hands around my shoulders and pulled me up.

"Tris! What the hell happened?! I told you not to listen to Eric! You promised me!" He sounds angry and I don't like. I shake my head and start crying again. "Dammit." He pulls me against him and I cry into his neck. "Are you okay?" I shake my head.

"I didn't want to listen to him, Tobias. I didn't want to come here, but I was scared. He was high and I was scared. I'm sorry." Tobias stiffens and holds me out at arm's length.

"He was _high_?" I nod. "Did he touch you?" I shake my head. "Did he do anything to you?"

"He tried to make me take some drugs and he was gripping my hand tightly, but I kneed him in the stomach." He smirks but then frowns, his eyebrows pulling together – he's pissed.

"What apartment is he in?" He asks, looking up at the building. I tell him and he laces his fingers through mine, pulling me behind him. We get up to the room and Tobias bangs on the door. Eric answers and tries to shut the door, but Tobias jams his foot in the threshold. "Open the door, Eric." He demands, reaching in and grabbing Eric's collar, pulling him out into the hall. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" He yells. I shrink back against the wall. "Trying to give a nineteen year old drugs?! Keep your drugs to yourself and find some drug mules elsewhere!" He screams, and right as I think he's done, he pounces forward, his fist connecting with Eric's jaw. Eric yelps in pain, but Tobias just grabs my hand and starts pulling me back outside.

He helps me up into the truck and I buckle myself in. I pull my knees into my chest and wrap my arms around my legs. Tobias climbs into the driver's side and starts the truck back up, speeding away.

Once we're a few blocks away from Eric's, I place my feet on the floor and sneak a glance at Tobias. "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home. You need to get some sleep." I shake my head, my hands starting to shake. He looks over at me, confused. "You don't want to go home?" I shake my head again.

"He…he broke into my house. He knows where I live." He cusses under his breath and shakes his head, his grip tightening on the steering wheel to the point where his knuckles turn white. He didn't say anything else, he just kept driving.

He kept silent until we were in his apartment, and then he threw his keys at the wall and I flinched, taking a step back, my back pressing against the door. "Dammit, Tris! Why couldn't you just listen to me for once?!" He runs his fingers through his short hair, and turns to face me. "Is it really that fucking impossible to listen to me? Do you really hate me that much?!" I frown, angry.

"I don't hate you! If I hated you, do you think I would've gone to your house yesterday? That I would've _kissed_ you?!" I slap my arms at my sides, frustrated. "I'm sorry I fucked up! I'm sorry I was scared and didn't know what to do! I'm still a fucking teenager!"

"You are so fucking stubborn." His voice is low again, no longer yelling. His hands clench into fists at his sides.

I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. "Why do you care anyways?" I ask, watching him slowly walk closer to me, his step taking a second as if he's trying to think about whether or not to step any closer. He steps in front of me, where he's only a few inches apart and I can feel his breath on my face.

"I care about you, Tris. Why can't you see that?" I stop scowling at him, and drop my hands at my sides. "I don't want you to get hurt. You wouldn't just be hurting Caleb, you'd be hurting me." He moves a strand of hair out of my face, his hand resting on my cheek. I can't help but muster a smile. "Don't ever do that to me again." I place my hand on top of his, looking at him. His eyes are dark blue, but still somehow soft and gentle. He leans his face closer to mine to the point where I feel his breath on my lips – and then he's kissing me.

My hands wrap around the back of his neck and he places his hands under my legs and lifts them, wrapping them around his waist. My back presses against the door, and he bites down on my lower lip, causing me to moan. "Tobias." I whisper. He ignores me, kissing along my neck and collarbone, over my tattoo.

"Tobias, stop." I find my voice, and push against his shoulders, pushing him away from me. He pulls back, shocked and worried.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asks and I shake my head.

"I – I just can't do this." Tobias lets go of my legs, gently dropping them back to the floor. I look up at him and smile softly. I reach up, running my fingers over the noticeable crease between his eyebrows. "You didn't do anything wrong, I promise. I'm just not ready for _that_." He nods and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into him.

"I'd hate to push away again, but I really need a shower." He laughed and let go of me. He directed me to the bathroom and I was thankfully, finally alone.

I stared at myself in the mirror, and shook my head. He was right; I _am _stubborn. It's a flaw both my parents and Caleb possessed. It's a family trait. Thinking about Caleb brings an aching pain to my chest. He's probably worried sick. I can call him right after I get a shower.

Once I was done showering, I wrapped a fluffy blue towel tightly around myself. I had put my underwear back on, but I didn't want to wear my jeans and t-shirt again. I stand hopelessly in the middle of the bathroom, not knowing what to do.

There's a soft knock on the door, startling me. I open it, hiding my body behind the door. Tobias stands outside the door with what looks like a gray t-shirt and black bottoms. He rubs the back of his neck with his free hand, keeping his eyes down. "I didn't know if you were going to want to get changed back into your clothes, but I found the smallest pair of sweat pants that I have and a t-shirt." He hands me the clothes and I thank him. "And you can stay here for the night, if you want." I smile at him and shut the door.

I drop the towel to the floor and pull the gray t-shirt over my head. The sleeves fall slightly below my elbows and the hemline ends a few centimeters above my knees. I look at the sweatpants on the floor and I know that no matter how tightly I tie them, they'll still be huge on me. I smile to myself as I picture the look of shock that will appear on Tobias's face when I walk out wearing only my underwear and his t-shirt.

I am so glad I wore my favorite pair of underwear.

I walk out of the bathroom, into the hallway, my hands clutching the bottom of the shirt. I stand in the middle of where the hallway and living room meet and smile shyly at Tobias. He stares at me for a few seconds, his mouth hanging open slightly. He snaps it shut and clears his throat. "Uhm, where do I sleep?" I ask him.

"You can sleep in my bedroom." He says, standing up and walking quickly past me towards his room. "I'll take the couch." I look at his sofa and then back at him, and frown. As comfortable as the couch looks, it can't be so comfortable he'd be able to spend an entire night on it. I shuffle behind him and watch as he makes the bed, pulling the dark blue sheets up to the top of the mattress and I notice his shirt coming up and showing a bit of skin. I finally realize he's changed out of his jeans and sweatshirt into a pair of black sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch." He looks up at me as he places two pillows down onto the bed.

"I'm not going to let you sleep on the couch." He shakes his head. "I'm not _that_ terrible." I laugh and he smiles.

"I wasn't offering to take the couch." I stare at him but he looks as if he still can't comprehend what I'm saying. "I don't mind sharing the bed." My cheeks flush as I say the words. Part of me knows I should just let him take the couch but the other part of me wants him to sleep next to me, to feel his arms around me, to make me feel safe. There's something about him that just makes me feel safe.

"Are you sure?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow. I nod and he shrugs, grabbing two more pillows. I quickly scramble under the covers and watch Tobias sit down on top of the covers. I sit up, my legs crossed pretzel style under the blankets, and place my hands in my lap. I stare at him for a few seconds before laughing once and shaking my head. "What's so funny?" He asks, smirking.

"Nothing. Just," I take a deep breath, trying to fight back my smile "it's just that I hated you when I first started going to therapy." He frowns, but I continue "I hated going to that building and having someone I barely knew trying to get me to spill all my emotions out. I mean, obviously I found you hot, but I didn't think I would be here," my hands drop to my lap for emphasis "in your bed, in your t-shirt, with you right next to me. It's not something that I thought was actually _possible_." He crosses his arms over his chest and huffs.

"Well, it's good to know you didn't like me at first, because I sure as hell didn't like you at first." He laughs and I can't help but smile again. "I thought that you were extremely bratty, but each time you came in and actually talked to me, I realized you were really something."

"At least we have a mutual hate for each other."

"_Had_ a mutual hate. I can't hate you now, Tris. It's impossible to hate you now."

"Because you've kissed me?" I look down at my hands, my face warm.

"That, and because you're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." I look up at him, expecting him to say _just kidding! _Or to start laughing, but he has a straight face. He leans closer to me, putting two fingers under my chin to tilt my head backward, and he presses his lips to mine.

Something flutters inside my stomach, making me want more from this kiss, but I'm too tired and don't want to push my luck. He pulls back, finally smiling and I mimic him.

"Go to sleep." He orders. "You've had a rough day."

"Promise me you won't leave?" He promises and lies down, pulling me with him. He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I thread my right leg through both of his legs, and watch as he smiles. He gives me a quick kiss and I curl into his chest, slowly falling asleep.

* * *

What feels like minutes later, I wake up crying and Tobias shaking me. "Tris?! Tris, wake up! What's wrong?" I sit up, leaning back against the headboard and pull my legs into my chest. "Shh, it's okay. You're fine." He smoothes my bed-head down, and keeps his hand on my arm.

I shake my head, wiping the tears away with the bottoms of my palms. I try to talk, but only more tears come out.

"Shit, Tris." Tobias cusses and grips my waist, pulling me onto his lap sideways. He strokes my cheek, wiping away stray tears. I grip his t-shirt and hide my face in his shoulder. "It was only a dream – it wasn't real." He whispers, stroking my hair. I shake my head.

"It was real, though." I finally find my voice and it comes out sounding shaky and weak. "It was all real." He looks at me, worried and tired. "It was my parents…" I start and I see understanding in his expression. "I saw the entire accident happen over again and I just…" I start to cry again and Tobias sighs, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

"I'm right here, Tris." He presses his lips to the top of my head and I let go of his shirt and wipe the wetness from my face.

"I'm sorry you have to see me crying." I shake my head, laughing without humor. "I haven't really cried since their accident."

"Well, it's a good thing that you got some of that out of you." He kisses my temple softly. "Feel better?" I nod and force a smile. "Liar." He smirks and I laugh. He presses his lips to my throat and I close my eyes, tilting my head to the side to give him more range of my neck.

He scoots down on the bed and lies down, pulling me on top of him. I settle my legs on both sides of his upper body and lean down to kiss him. He runs his hands up my legs, over my underwear and settles them on my waist. His kisses are soft but strong. His hands are strong on my hips and I suddenly want more. _I want so much more_.

But then the buzzer rings and Tobias drops his head back, groaning. I climb off of him and run my hands through my hair. "Who the hell is out this early in the morning?" I glance at the bedside clock.

"It's nine in the morning." I gasp. I expected it to be only five or six in the morning. Tobias gets up out of bed and goes to get the door. I climb out and shuffle behind him, hiding behind the wall by the front door. He opens the door and I freeze.

"Hello, Eaton." Eric smirks, leaning up against the doorframe. "How's it going?" I can see a large, dark bruise forming on his jaw and I feel the need to smile but the sight of him standing only a few feet away from me is horrifying and possibly the only thing keeping me from running up to Tobias.

"What the hell do you want, Eric?" Tobias crosses his arms and steps back slightly.

"It's not a _what_ so much as a _who_." He pushes himself off the doorframe and his sly smile disappears. "Where is she?"

Tobias shrugs. "Where is who?"

"Don't play dumb, jackass. I know you have Tris." I shiver when he says my name. "You left with her."

"Yes, I did leave with her. But that doesn't mean I currently know where she's at." He says matter-of-factly. I hug myself tightly. I want to step out where Eric can see me but I'm afraid to because of the fact that I don't have pants on and because I don't know what he wants with me and I don't want to see him Tobias fight.

"I don't have time for this shit, Eaton. Give me the girl and I won't hurt you." Tobias laughs and I cover my mouth with a shaking hand. "So you're going to be all protective of her because you're doing her?"

"I'm being protective of her because she doesn't need to be involved in your shit." He spits back. Eric takes a step into the apartment, but Tobias doesn't move. "Take another step and I'll break your neck." Eric purposefully shows the waistband of his jeans, showing off the black handle of a gun. I scream into my hand and both their heads snap in my direction. Eric snarls and Tobias looks panicked as he hurries over to me. He places his hands on my hips and then smoothes back my hair. "Are you okay?" I try to talk, but I can't keep my eyes off of Eric – who is walking towards us slowly.

"She's coming with me." Eric's voice is full of authority, but Tobias doesn't care.

"No, she's not. You're leaving without her." Eric laughs and steps forward, shaking his head.

"I don't think you heard me correctly." He grabs his gun and pulls it out, holding it up and pointing it at Tobias. "She's coming with me."

"Tobias." I whisper, clutching his arm. He shakes his head.

"You are not going with him, Tris. I won't let it happen." I step in front of Tobias, grabbing his hands and squeezing them once. I lean up to kiss his cheek.

"Trust me." I whisper into his ear as I turn around and walk slowly to Eric. He smirks, still pointing the gun at Tobias.

"You see, I need her to make a small…trade – if you will – for me." He shrugs, lowering his gun. "I can't be caught dead making the trade because the cops will instantly arrest me and the person will try to kill me, but if she makes it, she's innocent enough to where no one will suspect a thing."

Tobias clenches his fists, his jaw muscles prominent with his anger. I shake my head slightly.

"So you're using her as your drug mule?" Tobias asks through clenched teeth. Eric laughs a humorless laugh and nods. While he's distracted on watching Tobias, I use that as my chance to get the gun away from him.

I kick the back of his right knee, causing him to collapse and the gun to fall from his grip. Tobias pounces forward and grabs it quickly. I try to get away from him but he grabs my ankle causing me to fall face first. I quickly scramble back onto my feet at the same time as Eric. He reaches out to grab my hand but I'm quicker.

I slip away from him and snap my hand forward, my fist connecting with the side of his nose. He stumbles backwards, holding his nose as bright red blood drips from it. Tobias grabs my elbow and pulls me back.

"Get the hell out of my house right now." His voice was authoritative and the gun was steady in his hands. "And if you ever step near me or Tris again, I will kill you." He threatens and I see Eric glare at him and then look at me. For the first time in a few weeks, I stand taller – my head is held high and my hands are clenched at my sides, the hand that punched him slightly throbbing, and a victorious smile played on my lips. "Get out right now." Tobias yelled at him and Eric turned and ran out of the apartment.

Tobias placed the gun on a small table and turns towards me. "Where did you learn to do that?" He sounded intrigued. I shrug and smile.

"My Mom taught me how to fight when I was younger. She said it was good to know how to protect myself. I never actually thought I would need to use any of the moves she showed me." I examine my hand and there's only a slight red mark that would probably turn into a bruise within the next few days, but fortunately, Tobias was completely unharmed. I look up at him and this time, my smile is completely genuine.

He places his hands on my hips and presses his forehead to mine. "You could have been hurt." He whispers. I look up at him through my eyelashes; my heart beat increasing; and lock my arms around the back of his neck.

"But I wasn't." I frown. "I'm so sorry, Tobias. I should have listened to you in the first place. I was just so preoccupied with the fact that a guy was showing interest in me rather than sympathy." He laughs once.

"You are still the most stubborn woman I know." He whispers, his lips brushing mine. "And I love you." My heart leaps and he presses his lips to mine. His arms lock themselves around my waist, pulling me flush against him.

I have felt like such a jackass for how I treated Tobias when I first met him. I hate myself for behaving like a spoiled brat. He really has helped me through a lot more than I gave him credit for.

"Is your head okay?" He places his hands on both sides of my face, tilting my head back and looking at me. I nod. "Are you sure? You hit the floor."

"I didn't hit my head." He quirks an eyebrow at me but doesn't push it any further. I wrap my arms around his waist and press the side of my face into his chest. He kisses the top of my head and I sigh audibly. I lock my wrists behind his back and I can still feel my hands shaking.

We stand locked in each other's embrace for a few moments, quiet. Tobias finally speaks up and says, "This may not be the time for this, but it I find it kind of annoying that Eric saw you in your underwear." I can't help but laugh, looking up at him. "I should be the only one to see my girlfriend in her underwear." My face feels twenty degrees warmer and I look at him, confused.

"Did you just call me your _girlfriend_?" I smile a toothy smile and Tobias returns my smile. He leans down and presses hips lips against mine, soft this time.

I've never had a boyfriend and I've never been anyone's girlfriend. I rarely even saw my parents exchange any PDA. The most affection they showed was my Mother grabbing my Father's hand, or my Father pecking my Mother on her cheek and brushing a strand of hair from her face. They loved each other very much, but they didn't find any reason to prove that they loved each other.

I felt different when I'm with Tobias. He makes my stomach flutter and he makes me smile. He's strong, brave, kind and selfless. He's the polar opposite of me and it scares me that I might say something to scare him off – but that's not something I want to worry about right now. Right now, I just want to think about me and him; us.

Just the two of us together.

* * *

**Author's Note: I know that this was a shitty ending, but I didn't know how else to end it. I had a slight idea, but that would have demanded that I continue on with the story and I really just wanted this to be a one-shot. I wasn't very happy with having to make it into two parts, but I did. **

**But anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review! **


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